By targeting host-virus protein-protein interactions essential for viral replication in infected cells, CellVir's approach offers potential advantages such as complementarity to existing drugs and a reduced occurrence of viral mutations leading to drug resistance. Their research program, although currently focused on HIV-1, has the potential to be applied to other virally caused diseases such as hepatitis C, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and Avian Flu. Founded in 2006, CellVir is developing a new generation of anti-retrovirals based on a novel therapeutic mode of action that differs from traditional drugs by targeting host-virus interactions rather than viral enzymes.